‘Biological attack' could be behind Europe's latest foot-and-mouth outbreak
Hungary has suggested a "biological attack" may be behind the country's first foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in more than half a century.
The World Organisation for Animal Health said the outbreak, which was first detected on a cattle farm in the northwest near the border with Austria and Slovakia last month, has triggered border closures and the mass slaughter of cattle.
By Thursday, animal health authorities had inspected nearly 1,000 farms across Hungary. Of those, only four farms in the affected northwestern region returned positive results.
"At this stage, we can say that it cannot be ruled out that the virus was not of natural origin, we may be dealing with an artificially engineered virus," Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff Gergely Gulyas said at a media briefing.
Gulyas said he could not rule out that the virus outbreak was the result of a biological attack, without giving information on who might be responsible.
He also said that suspicion was based on verbal information received from a foreign laboratory and that their findings have not yet been fully proven and documented.
Hungary's cattle stock numbered 861,000 head based on a livestock census in December, little changed from levels a year earlier.
That constituted 1.2 per cent of the European Union's total cattle stocks, official statistics showed.
Foot-and-mouth disease poses no danger to humans but causes fever and mouth blisters in cloven-hoofed ruminants such as cattle, swine, sheep and goats, and outbreaks often lead to trade restrictions.
Thousands of cattle had to be culled as the landlocked country tried to contain the outbreak, while Austria and Slovakia have closed dozens of border crossings after the disease also appeared in the southern part of Slovakia.
"Everyone was just standing there, crying and saying that this cannot be true, that this was impossible," said Paul Meixner, an Austrian-Hungarian dual citizen who owns one of the affected farms in Hungary.
While his business has taken a 1.5 billion forint ($4.09 million) loss after culling 3,000 cattle and other livestock, Meixner has vowed to rebuild.
"In two weeks, we will start harvesting and storing the hay," he said. "We need the fodder for next year."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
5 days ago
- Reuters
Foot-and-mouth disease contained in Hungary, farm minister says
BUDAPEST, June 6 (Reuters) - Hungary has successfully contained an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, leading to the lifting of European Union restrictions, the country's farm minister Istvan Nagy told local news site in an interview published on Friday. Hungary reported its first case of foot-and-mouth disease for over 50 years in March, leading to infections in five farms near its border with Slovakia and Austria and triggering border closures and the mass slaughter of cattle. "There hasn't been a single new outbreak on the farms for over a month and a half. Disinfection work is ongoing, cleaning is happening at full speed, we're preparing for repopulation at all the sites ... the virus is gone," Nagy said. The farm minister also said that the European Union was lifting restrictions introduced after the outbreak. The disease, which poses no danger to humans, mostly affects cattle and other cloven-hoofed animals like swine, sheep and goats, causing fever and mouth blisters. Outbreaks often lead to trade restrictions and livestock culls. Authorities were still investigating the origins of the outbreak and testing several theories, Nagy said. He reiterated that terrorism had not been ruled out. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff in May suggested a "biological attack" as a possible source of the outbreak, without giving further details. Restrictions have also been eased in Slovakia since May as the country has not seen any fresh outbreaks in recent months. In the Czech Republic, where no cases were reported, remaining measures to prevent the spread across its borders were due to end on Friday.
Reuters
04-06-2025
- Reuters
Brazil minister says signs show efficient control of bird flu outbreak
BRASILIA, June 4 (Reuters) - Brazil's Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said on Wednesday there were strong indications that the world's biggest chicken exporter had efficiently contained a bird flu outbreak which was reported on a commercial farm in mid-May. Brazil's first-ever case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza was reported on a commercial farm in Rio Grande do Sul state last month, prompting dozens of trade partners to ban Brazilian chicken at countrywide and regional levels. Countries including China, South Korea and the European Union, were in talks with Brazil to ease their bans, Favaro said in Brasilia, adding that many partners were expected to relax restrictions before the 28-day observation period is up later this month. Since the outbreak, chicken prices in Brazil have fallen around 7%, Favaro said, adding the decline was normal and not alarming and that almost three quarters of Brazil's chicken production was now being consumed domestically. Brazil has seen more than 170 confirmed cases of bird flu since 2023 - including an outbreak at the zoo in capital Brasilia - but just one case at a commercial farm.
NBC News
03-06-2025
- NBC News
Trump trade negotiations and South Korea presidential election: Morning Rundown
Public disagreements with some key U.S. trading partners threaten to undermine negotiations. South Koreans are set to elect a new president. And a family fights for change after a 22-year-old man's death from an asthma attack, days after he was unable to afford an inhaler. Here's what to know today. Where things stand as Trump's ambitious push for trade deals hit some snags There's just over a month left until the clock on President Donald Trump's 90-day pause expires on most country-specific tariffs. And instead of progress, cracks are beginning to show with some of the U.S.'s closest trading partners. The increasingly public disagreements aren't totally unexpected, former trade negotiators said, as it can take months, if not years, for the U.S. to work out agreements with other countries. Despite the tensions, U.S. officials still insist they are close to making additional deals over the next month. Here's where things stand with some notable partners: China: Leaders from each country have accused the other of undermining the truce they reached in Switzerland to temporarily pause tariffs. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on CNBC that the Chinese have been 'slow rolling' the agreement. China, meanwhile, has accused the U.S. of undermining the pact by imposing new export controls on computer chips. European Union: On May 23, Trump said the bloc wasn't moving fast enough toward a deal and threatened to levy a 50% tariff on European goods. Days later, he backtracked. And then on Friday, he said he would increase tariffs on steel and aluminum, including from Europe, to 50%. Japan: The U.S. and Japan have been through at least four rounds of trade talks, but last week, Japan's economy minister, Ryosei Akazawa, said it would be difficult to reach any agreement without the U.S. being willing to remove Trump's tariffs. The two sides said they would meet again this month. The Supreme Court declined to hear two major gun cases over laws banning assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines, though litigation over similar bans in the country almost ensures the issue will return to the justices. Rapid changes in the Justice Department under the Trump administration have created what experts say is the ripest environment for corruption in a generation. How do Democratic attorneys general plan to respond to Trump administration policies in the latter half of 2025 and beyond? NBC News spoke to three — from California, Massachusetts and New Jersey — about their biggest priorities. Boulder incident is the second lone wolf attack in two weeks The suspect arrested in the attack on Israeli hostage advocates in Boulder, was charged yesterday with attempted first-degree murder, Colorado authorities said. The U.S. Attorney for Colorado also charged Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, with one count of a hate crime. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson also said Soliman was in the U.S. on an expired visa and had a pending asylum claim. Meanwhile, the number of people injured rose to 12 on Monday, up from eight the day before, officials said. The incident in Boulder marks the second hate-fueled attack on Jewish Americans less than two weeks after two Israeli Embassy workers were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. In both attacks, the suspects were not previously known to law enforcement. Yet in the wake of the Washington, D.C., attack, some security experts have questioned why security wasn't stronger in Boulder. The demonstration group, Run for Their Lives, has safely held regular demonstrations for years, a nearby resident noted, which could make the group harder to protect from a terrorist. Still, experts suggested police should have been on higher alert in recent weeks. Read the full story here. South Koreans elect a new president South Koreans are flocking to vote for a new president, six months to the day after then-President Yoon Suk Yeol plunged the country into turmoil by abruptly declaring martial law. Since his impeachment soon after, the country has churned through a series of acting presidents, while U.S. President Donald Trump's 25% 'reciprocal' tariff has contributed to uncertainty. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the liberal opposition Democratic Party, had a clear lead in the polls going into the election, with public support driven more by anger at Yoon's conservative People Power Party than by agreement with his policy positions, one foreign expert said. Further boosting Lee's chances is the fact that conservative votes are being split between Kim Moon Soo, the People Power Party candidate, and Lee Jun-seok, a young lawmaker from the upstart Reform Party who has generated controversy with his antifeminist remarks. Whoever is elected to lead the East Asian democracy of more than 50 million people will have to contend with an evolving relationship with the U.S. and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's advancing ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. Read the full story here. Read All About It Jonathan Joss, 59, the voice actor best known for his role in 'King of the Hill,' was fatally shot at the site of his old home in San Antonio. The CDC is urging Americans to get the measles vaccine before traveling abroad this summer. Israeli soldiers fired warning shots 'toward several suspects' near an aid distribution center in Gaza, about a half-mile from the site of a deadly attack last weekend, an Israeli military official said. The ICE arrest of a high school junior during graduation weekend sparked a post-ceremony march to town hall, with hundreds in his Massachusetts community demanding he be freed. Foods and drinks that lower inflammation in the body — think leafy greens, beans, coffee and tea — may help colon cancer patients survive longer, new research suggests. Staff Pick: He couldn't afford his inhaler — and died days later When 22-year-old Cole Schmidtknecht tried to get a refill on the inhaler prescribed by his doctor, the medication that formerly cost him $70 was priced at more than $500, his family said. Five days later, he had a severe asthma attack, stopped breathing and collapsed. He never regained consciousness. The price change was part of the insurance system that many Americans don't know about. Schmidtknecht's parents say the dysfunctional system, which allowed for a medication price change overnight and without notice, is to blame. In the first story of an NBC News series on the health care and insurance industries, Schmidtknecht's parents, Bil and Shanon, lament how their son's death was 'so preventable and so unnecessary' — and how they're fighting for change. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor Before a recent trip to Beaver Creek, Colorado, 13-year-old Zoe Durias had never skied. But the cancer survivor is used to pushing through discomfort. During her trip to Colorado with Sunshine Kids, a nonprofit that organizes annual trips for kids with cancer, she celebrated being three years cancer-free. 'I just thought that after treatment, everything would just go back to normal,' Durias said. 'It never did, but I think I'm happy with it. If it had gone back to normal, I would never have met all these awesome people.' Sunshine Kids executive director Jennifer Wisler agrees. 'Those bonds will help them as they move forward to battle their disease and realize that they don't have to battle alone,' she said. See how Sunshine Kids is giving children with cancer the opportunity to step out of hospitals and celebrate life. NBCU Academy is a free, award-winning education program for developing new skills and advancing careers in journalism, media and tech. NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified Getting tired of breaking out after a serious workout? NBC Select's editors shared the best post-workout skincare routine and the reason why you shouldn't let sweat sit in your skin for an extended amount of time. Plus, here are the May bestsellers that our readers have added to their carts. here.
